Years after selling his legendary Star Wars franchise to Disney for billions of dollars, the property has never been busier, and ironically, we’ve never heard less from its creator. Hard Drive tracked down George Lucas and he was gracious enough to answer some questions for us.
How did you come up with the idea for Star Wars?
“I was looking up at the sky one night and thought it looked much too peaceful.”
Are you still in touch with any of the cast?
“Harrison sends me hate mail every now and then.”
What is your favorite special effect from one of your movies?
“I’m very proud of the duck boobs in Howard the Duck. That was very challenging. You see, ducks don’t normally have boobs.”
What color would your lightsaber be?
“I don’t know, but I would make sure to secure merchandising rights immediately.”
Why do you call it a laser sword instead of a lightsaber?
“It was always supposed to be called a laser sword. That hack Guinness flubbed the line on the first day of shooting and refused to do a second take, so we were stuck with it.
If you could vacation on any Star Wars planet, which would it be?
“Rather than go to just one place, I would prefer to spend a couple of weeks in an empty room with green walls and have backgrounds from several different planets added to my vacation photos in post.”
What was the most challenging part of making Star Wars?
“Teaching Mark Hamill to use telekinesis. He kept complaining that the X-Wing was too big to lift. I had to stand right outside the frame and do it for him.”
Was Indiana Jones really named after your real-life dog?
“Yes. I name all my characters after pets. I had a gerbil in second grade named Curt Henderson.”
Are you still friends with Steven Spielberg?
“Steven and I are very close. We get together a few times a year and talk shit about James Cameron.”
Is there anything you would change about the prequels movies?
“I always thought the chemistry between Hayden and Natalie was a little too strong in Attack of the Clones. I’d like to get in there and make the dialogue a bit more stunted and awkward.”
Why does R2D2 have so many seemingly random gadgets?
“How else is he supposed to make love to C3PO?”
What’s your opinion of the Star Wars shows on Disney+?
“I haven’t seen them. The only streaming service I use is Tubi. They got the rights to Westworld, you know. I thought I’d never get to watch it!”
Are you still interested in auto racing?
“I drifted away from the hobby after creating the perfect race sequence in Episode I.”
Who would win in a fight, Han Solo or Indiana Jones?
“If I answer that question, Harrison Ford is legally allowed to kill me.”
Did you talk to JJ Abrams at all during the production of Disney’s trilogy?
“I didn’t speak to him at all while he was making his first film, but he called me for advice when he was brought back on for the third movie. He was very concerned because the story made no sense and he had no idea how to save the franchise. I just said, ‘Not so fucking easy, is it?’ and hung up the phone.”
What movie by someone else do you wish you had made?
“The Empire Strikes Back.”
What is your biggest regret?
“I had this theory that I should choose my successor based on how well they could pull off a cowboy hat. I’m not sure that really worked out.”
What did you learn while making THX 1138 that informed your later work?
“THX 1138 is when I found out that movies aren’t real. You have to write stuff and tell people to act it out in front of a camera with costumes and things. I thought all those Flash Gordon serials I had watched growing up really happened.”
Do you see yourself returning to the film industry in any capacity?
“There’s no new projects that interest me at the moment, but I have been toying with the idea of remastering American Graffiti so I can add a CGI alien to the sock-hop scene. We just couldn’t afford to do that when we shot it.”
Do you have any advice for aspiring filmmakers?
“Aim big. Disney is always on the lookout for billion-dollar franchises to buy, especially now that they’ve ruined mine.”
